A Niagara Falls man has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and making it available.

Police launched an investigation into the online sexual exploitation of children in November and members of the Internet Child Exploitation unit executed a search warrant at a Niagara Falls residence on Dec. 8, seizing a number of computer systems and storage media which was forensically examined.

As a result, 45-year-old James "Ed" Lochhead of Niagara Falls was arrested and charged on Wednesday (Dec. 20).

Police said the investigation was made possible with financial assistance from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and the Ministry of the Attorney General.

Members of the public can report suspicious internet activities relating to child exploitation to the Niagara Regional Police Service or online at, cybertip.ca.

Internet safety tips for parents and children can also be found on the Cybertip website.